Yieldable gearing



H. J. MURRAY AND W. S. RUGG.

YIELDABLE GEARING.

APPLICATION FlLED 1ULY2, 1920.

1,390,538, Patented Sept. 13, 1921,

muamsvs HOWARD J'- MURRAY;

n Wei/ran, s. mice, or rrr'rs- YIELDAJBLE GEARINGL Specification of Letters ratent. 1

Original application filed May 27, 1918, Serial Ito. 236,856. Divided and this application filed my 2,

. 1920'. Serial No. 393,544. I

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .we, HOWARD J. MURRAY, a citizen of the United Stateshand a resident of Brooklyn, count of Kings and State of New York, and "ALTER S. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invente certain new and useful Improvements in Yieldable Gearings, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates in general to a flexible power transmission system between two shafts or other forms. of power-transmitting member mounted to have a certain freedom of relative movement and the the shafts move angularly'out. of their norinvention constitutes a division of our copending application, on resilientlymounted transmission, Serial No. 236,856, filedMay 27th, 1918. 1

In the parent application a construction is disclosed in which the two shafts therein identified as the axle of a car truck and the armature shaft of the driving motor are resiliently supported relative to each other by the usual spring suspension found in conventional forms of car frames or rather truck frames of the character disclosed in said prior application; a

In this dosclosure it is to be assumed in general in interpreting the broad claims that there is no necessity for any direct connecting means between the shafts and specifically considering a structure where the invention is particularly applicable there is assumed a connection preferably a.

- resilient connection .between the "shafts as illustrated in the parent application. 7,

' Considered in its broad aspect, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a positive and efficient, flexible driving con-' nection between two relatively movable shafts and in which one or both of the shafts are capable of not only longitudinal rela-' tive movement but also of relative universal articulation either in situations where one of the shafts is supported from the other or where the shafts are entirelyindependent except for the flexible connection featuredin this disclosure.

Another specific feature of the invention is to provide a simple form of flexible element in the transmission herein featured which element will include a spring drive,

. Itooe,

. and one I substantially free of all strains thereon, ex-

cept those incidental to the driving function of the transmission.

Still another object of the provide a simple, compact form of transmission which can be readily designed struc turally to accommodate the transmission mal relation.

Variousother: objects and advantages of the nvention will be in an inspection of the' acc0mpanyingdraw part obviousi-.-f rorn Patented Sept. 1a, 1921.

invention is to d of high speed and high torque forceswith ings and in part will be more fully setforth in the following particular description of one form of .mechanism embodying our in vention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel featuresvof construe tion and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings V Figure 1 is a view in elevation of apre' ferred embodiment of the invention shown shown in section in this figure;

in position disposed between two shafts Fig. 2 is a transverse sectlonal view takenon: the line 22 of Fig. 1 and Figs. 3 and 4 are views in side elevatioii respectively of the driven wing members In the drawings there disclosed two spaced apart and paralleling extending shafts 13 and '32 and which for the purpose of this disclosure -may be considered as a driving power shaft 32 and. a driven. s haft 13. In the specific showing in the parentapplication shaft 32 is-the armature shaftof carrying "flanged track engaging wheel at of the traveling rings shown in I generic-intheir parts as the art ,Wilh-I a high speed motor and shaft 13 is an axle- I the shaft 32 is mounted so that its axis is fixed in position and the shaft 13 mounted so that its axis maybe free to move, at least for a limited distance, both longitudinally and so that it is capable of a limited universal articulation relative to the shaft 32.

There is disclosed a reducing gear train which includes a small pinion 36fixed to the shaft 32 and constantly meshing with a relatively large slow speed gear 37 which encircles the shaft or axle 13.- The teeth of the gear and pinion are of the herring bone type and are so set relative to each other as to 'obtain the mos-t'efiective driving-..organizat'1on.

ficient to permit all possible relative move-' The gear 37 is supported with its axis fixed relatlve to the axis of the gear 32'by means of a long bearing engagement, which includes ahub portion in the form of a sleeve 38 which surrounds the shaft '13 but has an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the shaft-so as'to provide a clearance sufment between the sleeve and shaft 13 in'the shifting of the latter. One end ofthe sleeve hub portion 38 is provided with an outstanding dish shaped flange 39 affixed to the side of the. gear 37" by means ofbolts 40. A

flexible driving connection is positioned within theplane of the gear 37 and is operatively connected thereto and to the shaft'13 to drive the samein all possible shifted positions of the latter relative to the gear. a

- Theflexible connection includesa driven wing member 42 provided with a sleeve 43 shrunk on teen enlarged portion 44. of the axle. This member is provided with a pair offish-tail'shaped driving arms 45 and 46 extending diametrically therefromin the plane of the gear 37. A pair of traveling rings 47 and 48 are loosely mounted .upon the sleeve43 and held centered thereon and p in abutting position by means of a pair of flanged end collars 49 fixed to the sleeve 43 at opposite ends thereof. Each of the rings 47 and 48 are provided respectively with .a laterally projecting raisedportion 5O and 51 designed normally to iextend diametrically the driven shaft 13. One of the raised ,por

opposite each other-and on opposite sides of tions 50 is positioned between .the driving arms 45 and 46 .on one side of the driven shaft 13 and the other raisedportion 51 is similarly positioned between the arms 45 and 46 on theopposite side of the shaft 13. The construction provides four spring con assesses taining spaces 52 between the succeeding arms and raised portions. These constitute bearing members for engaging opposite ends of foursprings numbered clockwisein Fig. 1, as 53, 54, .55 and 56. The drivingarms 45 and 46 and the raised portions 50and51 are provided with sprin guiding pins 57 designed to be positione in opposite ends of the spring so as to guide the same in the rotary movement of the traveling rings. about the axle. By this construction it is seen that any pressure on either ring tending to turn the same about the axle willact through the spring drive to rotate the axle.

The gear wheel 37 is provided with a pair of inwardly facing and diametrically disposed guiding slots 58 and 59, the 'slot 58 containing a' guiding arm 6O slidably mounted therein and the slot 59 being similar-ly provided with an arm 61 and both confined on their reciprocatory movement to a plane passing through the axis of the gear I 37. The arms 60 is let into the bifurcated outer edge of an ear'62 forming an extension from the raised portion 50 and ispivoted thereto by means of a pin 63. The arm 61 is similarly pivoted to the raised portion of the ring 48 by means of'a pivoting pm 64.

Preferably the arms 60 and 61 are mo 'mt. ed for rotary mox ement relatlve to the rings '47 and 48. For this purpose a shaft 65 projects inwardly from each of the ears 62, is

.passed through a socket opening farmed in the raised portions 50" and is fa t mm position bymeans of a nut 66, v

In operation it will be understood that the shaft drive 32 at high speedtransmits. itsrotary movement througha slmple type of reducing gear .train and flexible comiection to the driving shaft 13. Duringthis movement the axis of the driven gear will describe a small circle about the axis of the driven shaftiwhich' movement i s possible due to the clearance provided by the hub sleeve '38. The axis-of the driven shaft is free, to move'in any one of three planes at right angles to each other, or, iii-other words, the drive-n shaft is free to move in any direc tion relative to the drivin shaft 32and'its attached parts, The axis of the driven shaft and the axis of the driven gear 37 are designed to'coincide only under normal con ditions of rest, as shown in Fig.1, and are intended .to move relatively to each other inthe activeoperation of the device. j The arms 60 and 61 not only move in and out of their guiding slots 58. and 59 but they may also move transversely of the plane of the gear with a twisting action- These arms of course never leave thediameter' of the circlerepresenting the gear and. consideringmerelythe rotary movement of the gear it is noted that in a complete cycle ofmovement of the arms, for instance arm 60, oc-.. ,cupies the same position in its slot 58 that was previously occupied by the other arm 61 in its slot 59 when in the corresponding H p iti Therefore. when the center-of the driven shaft, while gear shifts away must give and move about the axle and of the gear.

, against the arm \ted therefrom through the compressed Y and onceagainst the arm 4-5 7 point on thearms and cause the rings depending upon the amount of displacement between the axes of the gear and shaft relative to each other.

For a detailed'explanation of the driving condition at some one point in its cycle of movement, let it be assumed that thegear 37, has been moved to the right in Fig. 1.

In this case the diameter of the gear will lie to the right of the center of the axis but the arms60 and 61 are held for movement in astraight line passing through the axis This will slightly rotate the traveling ring about the axis of the axle to turn on their pivoting pins 63 and 64. In this illustration the traveling ring 47 has moved clockwise about the-collar 43 and the rin 48 has been moved counterclockwise. ovingthev traveling ring 47 clockwise compresses the spring 53 to the rightof it in Fig. 1,thus tending to move through an angle the driving arm- 46 counter-clockwise and compressing the spring 54 against the ring 48 carryingithe arm 61. It will thus mean that both spr ngs 53 and 54. are under compression and bearing 46. The tension at this time is removed from the oppositely disposed springs 55 and 56 engaging the opposite driving arm 45. ,As the gear 37 1s revolving at this time power is transmitspring 53 onto the driving arm 46 and there'- fromdirectly through the collar-43 to the axle'to "turn the same. vWith the gear d1splaced and under motion, each of the springs will be compressed once againstthe arm 46 in each revolu- Considering any given 60 and 61' the movement" in one complete revolu tion of the gear 37.

of any such point .tion will-conform to the sine law, the amplitude of its wave. being determined by the;

displacement df'the axis of the gear- 37 and axle 13. By this construction it is possible i for the axis of-the axle to move radially of v 'the gear ,37 while it is beingdriven by the same.

-- Consideringthe situation in the coincides with the axis of the gear neither parallel thereto, 1t

axis of the axle nor is will be noted that this distortion hasininiinumefiect on the efliciency of the. drive.

In this casethe axis of the gear is not only ,ofiset butis making an angle with the driven I shaft. The arms and 61 iii-this 'case not only move radially of their guiding slots but may also move transversely of the plane of the gear and about a radius of their own.

' ing gear.

ment with. thetransmission.

While this transverse movement, in the normal action of theaxle is but slight, even this slight action ,is taken care 'of in this.

construction and in the tendency of the driven shaft to restore itself to normal position will cause the arms 60 and 61 to be restored to theirnormal position centered in their guiding slots.

By means of a device of this character it 5 is possible to maintain apreset meshe'd gear driving connection in gear train and the flexible transmission provides for, all necessary variation in the position of the driven shaft relative to the driving shaft while maintaining a positive drive between the last member of the gear train and thedriven shaft in allpositions of the same: The

driven shaft is strictly a floating member for it is free to move practically without restraint from the connection of the flexible driving element fixed thereto. These springs tial compression so expand during each revolution of the driv- As each spring is placed under tension and then released at each revolution of the gear it is released of any constant bearing tension and its resiliency is thus maintained. Due to the relatively slow speed of the gear'37 heating conditions which might injuriously effect the springs at high'speed, can be ignored. 7

Whilewe have shown and described, and have pointed out-in the annexed claims, certain novel features of-our invention, it will be understood that various omissions, sub

I stitutions and changes in the form and 'de- -=tails of the device illustrated andin its operation' may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. We claim: 1' 1, In a device of the class described, the combination of a power transmission-including a wheel,ja powermember operatively connected thereto to drive the same, a driven member havingits axis of rotation normally coincidingwith the axis of the wheel and spaced apart from said wheel, said driven member being mounted tohave a freedom of movement axially across the plane of the wheel; and a flexibledriving connection nor mally disposed in the plane of the wheel and extending between said transmission and said driven member and in sliding. engage- 2. a deviceof theclass described, the combination of a power shaft, a gear train fwith the first member of the train operatively connected to the 'shaft-to'be driven thereby,a driven member having a freedom of movement axially relative to the gear train and a flexible driving connection normally confined within the outlines of the last member of the gear train and extend- "combination of a driven member, a wing -member including a collar fixed to said driven member and provided with diametrically extending driven arms, a pair of traveling rings rotatably mounted on said collar and each provided with a spring bearing positioned in the space on opposite sides of the driven arms, springs disposed between each drivenarm and the adjacent bearing considered circumferentially, a driving member provided with diametrically disposed guiding slots facing toward the axis of the driving member and said traveling rings provided with arms pivotedt'hereto and mounted for reciprocatory movement radially of the driving member in said slots.

4:. In a device of the class described,the

I combination of a driven member, ,a spring radially of the plane of the driving member.

bearing member fixed thereto, a traveling ring mounted for rotary movement about "the 'axis of said driven member and provided with a bearing member, a spring disposed between said bearing members, a driving member encircling said ring and driving connection between saiddriving member and said traveling ring.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a driven member, a spring bearing member fixed thereto, a traveling ring mounted for rotary movement about the axis (if said driven member and provided with a bearing member, a spring'disposed between said bearing members, a driving member encircling said ring and driving connection between said driving member and said traveling ring, said connection including a pivoted driving arm guided to travel 6. In a device of the class described, the

. combination with a driven member, a rotary power transmitting member fixed to said' driven member, a driving member encircllng f said driven member and having a slight freedom of movement in all directions relative thereto and means for guiding one of said members relativeto the other along a diameter of one of the members-andalong a line at right angles said diameter whereby the angular movement ofthe driven memher is maintained equal to the angular'movement of the driving member in all driving positions of the members.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of adriven shaft, a driven arm fixed thereto and extending radially therefrom, a traveling ring mounted for rotary eeones spring disposed between said driven arm and bearing-whereby rotary movement of the .ring W111 be'transmitted through the spring .to the driven member, a driving member encircling said ring and a pivotal driving connection between said driving member and said ring.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a driven member, a spring bearing member fixed thereto, a traveling ring mounted for rotary movement about the axis of said driven member and provided with abearing member, 'a spring disposed between said bearing -mem'bers, a driving member encircling said ring 'and mounted for movement about twoaxes, one of said axis being transversely of the lane of the traveling rings and the other being disposed in the ''radius of said traveling rings.

9. In a device oftheclass described, the combination of a driven member, aspring bearing-member fixed thereto, a traveling Q-cornbination of a driven rriember,a spring bearing member fixed thereto,. a traveling ring mounted for rotary movement about the axis, of said. driven member and pro- 7 vided with a bearing member, a spring disposed between said bearing members, a driving member encircling said ring and driving connection between said driving member and said traveling. ring, saidconne'ctionincludmg a drivlngarm pivoted for movement about an axis extending substantially in the I radius t the driving member and 1 means I for guiding said arm to travel radially or the plane ofthe driving member. L

11. In a device of the'cl'ass described, the

combination of a driving member and a dr vemmember disposed normallyfor rotary movement about a common axis and free to.

move axially relative to each other, a flexible driving. connection between the members in" cluding a sliding connection with one of the members and a resilient connectionbetw een" thesliding connection and the other member. This specification signed this 28th 'day of June, 1920. I

- HOWARD- QI;

' 'WALTER SpRUj Ti G f 

